Too Disabled To Die? Texas Doesn’t Think So

The Supreme Court is hearing a very delicate case this week. In 1980, Bobby James Moore of Texas killed a store owner during a robbery. Moore has intellectual disabilities; however, Texas says he doesn’t. He failed the very unscientific Briseno factors test.

These methods are outdated. Mental health professionals have said that Moore has an intellectual disability. His lawyers say that his sentence should be set aside because of the Constitution and a Supreme Court case.

“It’s unconstitutional to execute people with intellectual disabilities, that much the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear. But things get fuzzy when individual states try to legally determine “intellectual disability,” and that ambiguity is leading Texas to its latest hearing before the high court.

“On Tuesday morning, the eight justices will hear arguments surrounding Texas’ method of determining the condition, ultimately deciding if the state’s approachfits within past rulings specifying who canbe put to death. The case is brought forth by Bobby Moore, a death row inmate of more than 36 years.”

This man is too disabled to understand what is going on. His IQ averages around 70, which definitely fits the criteria for an intellectual disability. The death penalty is horrible enough.